School-kids in the North West could be in for an unusual treat this Independence: Hippo flesh.
A respected University of Botswana (UB) professor has advised the District Council to slaughter at least 100 hippos from the over-populated Nxaraga Hippo Lagoon and feed their meat to school children this Independence.
Addressing a full council meeting in Maun on Tuesday, Professor Joseph Mbaiwa of UB’s Okavango Research Institute (ORI), urged the powers-that-be to act now ‘before it’s too late’.
“The river has dried up and the pool is drying as well. The hippos are in the village [Nxaraga] and they will kill people if nothing is done about it,” he warned.
Prof Mbaiwa presented three possible solutions to the problem: translocation (moving the hippos to an entirely new area a considerable distance away), provide the hippos with water and feed them, or kill them and sell their meat.
However, he admitted wiping-out the hippos was probably the best option.
“Translocation can be undertaken if costs or budget permit. However, the high costs and lack of budget either from government or from NGOs such as Save Wildlife Conservation may result in the idea failing. We also have to note that hippos are territorial animals hence likely to be killed in destination areas of translocation.”
Mbaiwa said drilling boreholes for water or providing feed would prove equally as expensive. He further pointed out it would lead to other animals, like elephants and even livestock, crowding the river to drink and graze.
“This would result in even more conflict among animals and between animals and people in this area,” he said, adding in a brief interview with The Voice later, “The better option here is to kill these hippos.”
With this year’s annual floods from the Angolan Highlands not expected to reach the pool, Mbaiwa explained the lack of water would persist until next winter at the earliest.
“The drying of the river had forced some hippos from Nxaichai pool to relocate to Nxaraga pool, leading to overpopulation and competition for space and meager resources with livestock and other wildlife species.”
It is estimated there are over 100 hippos at Nxaraga lagoon.
During Tuesday’s discussion, some councillors suggested rather than a full-out massacre, a few hippos should be spared for tourism purposes and the environment.
In response, Mbaiwa assured his audience Botswana’s current hippo population was healthy and that eliminating 100 would not affect the environment.
“Hippos in the Kavango-Zambezi (KAZA) Transfrontier Conservation Area, which includes Nxaraga, currently stand at a safer population of 8 649 – some put it at 12 536. Namibia plans to slaughter 723 wild animals to manage food shortages following drought: 83 elephants, 30 hippos, 60 buffalos, 50 impalas, 100 blue wildebeests, 300 zebras and 100 elands. We can copy from Namibia. Zimbabwe wants to cull 200 elephants,” revealed the vastly-experienced academic.
The ORI Director said during his recent travels across the country for a human-wildlife conflict study, he observed most communities want wild animals removed from their villages, crop fields and livestock areas, and conserved in separate areas.
“The communities recommended the use of cluster fences or electric fences around their crop fields and villages. In regions such as Nxaraga where hippos and humans intersect, it’s crucial for communities to have measures in place to minimise interactions, educate people about the risks and ensure that hippos have space to live without encroaching on human settlements,” said Mbaiwa, who also sits on the Botswana Tourism Organisation (BTO) board.
MBAIWA’S HIPPO WARNING
- Hippo migration or movements in the bush can be dangerous. Once pools at Nxaraga area became dry due to drought, hippos migrated in search of water and vegetation. Migration of hippos in the area might be dangerous to human life.
- Hippos are highly territorial and can be extremely aggressive if they feel threatened. They can charge at high speeds and their size and strength make them very dangerous.
- Hippos are particularly protective of their young and their territory. If they perceive any threat to their offspring or their domain, they can react aggressively.
- Hippos spend a lot of time in water and can be unpredictable when people are near or in water bodies where hippos are present.
